Chapter 67
A tall man in mercenary attire, with black hair and golden eyes, pushed open the dressing room door and stepped inside.
“Lord Helios? Where have you been—just arriving now?”
The man who recognized the captain greeted him warmly. He wore the same outfit and had the same hair and eye color as the man before him, but he was a burly, muscular man with a deep scar across one eye.
Ash clicked his tongue and draped the brown theatrical cloak hanging on the coat rack over his shoulders.
“I told you not to call my name recklessly.”
“My apologies, Captain!”
Despite his appearance as if he were a crime syndicate boss, the man addressed as captain behaved like a meek sheep before Ash.
‘This new squad leader isn’t as sharp as the previous one… Well, whatever,’ Ash thought, frowning slightly before lazily extending his hand.
The captain understood Ash’s gesture and unfolded the prepared theater blueprint, handing it over. Circles and arrows were marked across the design.
“All the spots you mentioned are on standby. We’re ready at any time.”
“Good. You’ve thoroughly memorized the plan, right? Lure them into the snowy mountains, every last one of them.”
“Yes! But what about Duke Bahir? It might be tough for us alone.”
Ash lowered his head and let out a long, exasperated sigh. Talking with this guy made him feel pathetic, and a vein bulged slightly under the black choker around his neck.
“So lure them into the mountains and hide. The hordes of beasts will buy you time and drain their energy for you—how convenient. Right, Captain? Wait until I arrive. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Indeed! As expected of you, Captain! Damn those northern fools, I hope they all perish this time. Make sure to reward us generously afterward. Haha!”
“That depends on what our captain decides to do.”
“Excuse me? Is there another captain?”
Ash rose and tapped the shoulder of the man who had been so boisterous moments ago.
“From now on, you’ll lead Raven’s squad. Don’t worry—I’ll act as the overseer. I’m counting on you for this command, Captain.”
“Really?”
The captain was ambitious from the start. Though confused, his eyes sparkled like never before as he snorted.
Ash glanced with his disguised golden eyes and nodded in approval. It was a whimsical choice, but in a guild where lawlessness was the norm, nothing could have been more natural.
“Now, we should get ready. It’s almost time for the performance.”
“I won’t disappoint you! Captain—ah, I mean Overseer!”
“Of course. There’s someone very delightful waiting outside. We have to make sure they enjoy it—to the point of losing their senses.”
“Who are you referring to?”
Ash ignored the question entirely and simply formed a sly smile. As he moved to gather props from a cabinet, he suddenly stopped.
The storage cabinet, emitting a metallic scent, had blood dripping through the cracks in the wood.
Ash raised an eyebrow and added a sharp remark.
“You fool. How could you lock the actors in here?”
The grandest theater where the play would begin was, in one word, magnificent.
Ivory-colored marble pillars towered above, ceilings and walls finished with gem dust, and the stage was filled with various magical tools. Expensive artworks lined the corridors.
Luna, seated in a special seat, briefly counted the plush velvet chairs before giving up. It was simply another reminder of Duke Bahir’s immense wealth.
Just as the performance was about to start, the overall lighting dimmed. On the spacious stage, a single lamp focused the light, and the sound of heavy boots echoed through the silence.
Soon, a burly actor in a brown cloak appeared and shouted:
“Welcome, esteemed guests! Today, we present a performance depicting a chapter of the Empire’s history in a unique way. Please enjoy!”
He exaggeratedly gestured with his arms, then bent forward, revealing a backdrop of snow-covered northern mountains.
Because Duke Bahir made a show of bravery every winter by venturing into the snowy ‘Beast Forest,’ most people could guess the play’s storyline.
Amidst applause, the actor scanned the audience, eventually locking eyes with Luna. His golden, beast-like eyes glinted as he spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
“This story is as old as legend. Do you know that within the everlasting snow, a miraculous gift from the gods existed?”
As he traced a circle in the air, a sphere of fire appeared, floating in midair.
Like magic, the orb radiated a brilliant crimson heat, burning intensely.
“This is the Egg—the Flame Egg. Just to be clear, remember this: it’s not… a ‘fireball.’ Yes? A Flame Egg.”
“….”
After a brief silence, the theater erupted in laughter.
Luna rubbed her cheeks at the awkward word choice, while Khalid quietly straightened his fingers as he crossed his legs.
The actor snapped his fingers to regain everyone’s attention.
“Since you’re laughing, let me share a secret. This huge ‘Egg’—don’t be shocked—it’s actually me. Those of you laughing? It’s really me!”
The audience roared with laughter again. The play itself seemed almost interactive, as the actor continuously spoke to the spectators.
However, the officials’ faces drained of color. High-ranking personnel frantically gestured to Khalid to check and remove him immediately.
But the actor paid no mind, continuing to speak.
“Anyway, pay attention to which greedy human discovers this Flame Egg first. How does my ‘precious’ look? Delicious?”
“Looks appetizing and exquisite!”
Despite the crude joke, the actor carried himself with charisma. The man in the front row responded jokingly, and the actor continued.
“As expected. And so a tragic event occurs. The Egg was devoured entirely. Horrifying to imagine, right? I know—I feel the same. So what happened to the Egg?”
“Did the great Duke Bahir save it?”
A woman from another seat asked. The actor shook his head regretfully.
“I wish he had, but my Egg first turned pitch black. In magical terms, it was a kind of side effect. Curious? Here’s what happened.”
He snapped his fingers, and the once-flaming orb turned black, emitting a foul aura. The audience, caught between laughter and awe, gasped at the spectacle.
But Luna, Khalid, and a few others recognized it as forbidden black magic.
Their mouths dropped open. The orb was a corrupted cursed object, akin to a beast’s body.
As Luna shivered and covered her mouth, Khalid’s eyes sharpened, signaling Hurst.
At his master’s signal, Hurst leapt high, drawing his sword, and struck the actor on stage.
BANG!
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
The force cracked the wooden floor at the front of the stage. Dust filled the air, and standing calmly in the middle was the mysterious actor.
For some reason, Hurst lost his balance in an instant, crashing into a corner. Everyone in the theater realized something was terribly wrong. That Duke Bahir’s knight commander had been overpowered by force was like a scene from the play itself.
“Ugh! Ahhh! There’s a body here!”
A series of violent screams echoed from below, as if scripted.
With these two events, the theater froze instantly.
Ash, appearing as Raven’s captain, stared emptily at Luna and then pushed the corners of his mouth upward with his thumb and forefinger, smiling.
“Why are you all stiffening over nothing? Laugh, like before. You’ll want to hear how this farce ends, won’t you? Sadly, everything’s been stagnant since that day. Greed invites destruction. So, what is this Egg really?”
Ash lazily brushed his bangs aside, noticing the crazed pink eyes trembling before him, and smiled faintly. Then he concluded:
“Ta-da. It’s a Black Crow’s Egg.”
At that moment:
Bang! Boom! Bang!
The ground shook as explosions erupted everywhere.
“Ahhh!”
“Eeeeek!”
BOOOOM!
The people’s screams were drowned out by the deafening blasts. Wherever the golden energy touched, chaos spread.
At last, the true, vivid play began.
